Nouâdhibou

Nouâdhibou, formerly Port-Étienne, town located in northwestern Mauritania, on Cape Nouâdhibou (Cape Blanco) peninsula facing a protective bay on the Atlantic coast. It has developed as a fishing centre, and fishing continues to be important; but, since 1964, with the completion of a special pier and a 419-mile (674-km) railway to the Iron Mountains near Zouérat and Fdérik, the port’s main economic importance has rested on exports of high-grade iron ore to Europe and the United States. Nouâdhibou is the site of an international airport. Also nearby is Banc d’Arguin National Park, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1989. Pop. (2000) 72,337; (2005 est.) 94,700.